Ep. 50: Crime and Courtship, Part 15

Kyle

Previously on Quest Friends.

[Opening theme, “Friends” by Miracle of Sound, begins.] 

Kyle (as the unknown voice)

Alone. You are alone. You will be alone. You should be alone. You will make yourself alone.

Emily (as Elee)

[With playful admonishment.] Karl. 

Kyle (as Karl Badge)

I, uh. Promise you that whatever I can get you, whatever I do. I will do it with you. My love for you...

Kyle 

And he waves his hand, and the candle turns on.

Kyle (as Karl Badge)

Will never flame out.

Kyle 

And meanwhile, Mauve, uh, turns over to Everett, and she picks up a conspicuously rapier-sized case.

Kyle (as Mauve)

I wanted to wait til you were ready to give you this but, uh, but who am I kidding. You were always ready. You just...just open it when you recognize that.

[Opening theme intensifies.]

Kyle 

[Opening theme fades.]

Okay. So after the evening's incidents...Hopper at this point, by the way, is probably just finally getting the qwhale to bring upstairs. So he's still doing the stuff from last episode, but we've got some stuff for everyone else. So! I know that things have been kind of irregular, but I would imagine that when it comes to evening you all kind of slip back into your routine. 

So Elee, going back to her room, Xoc going back to his room, and then Misha maybe a little more apprehensively but, but walking around the, the Prodigious while, uh, Jesse follows them around. 

[Laughter.]

Ari 

Misha, I think this time is not actually even going to walk around. They're just gonna stay in their room, kind of staring at a wall.

Kyle

[Laughter.]

Tom

[Pained.] Oh!

Ari 

They don't even have the energy to put Jesse to sleep, they can do whatever they want. 

Kyle 

Okay. Well, that's good, because Jesse gets very excited to go explore things and actually bounds out of the room like a dog ready to go on a walk. 

Emily

[Laughter.] Uh-oh.

Ari

[Wryly.] 'kay.

Kyle 

Do you follow her or do you stay in the room?

Ari 

No, Misha, Misha is, is, doesn't notice. They would in other instances, but they're just staring at a wall right now. 

Kyle 

Sounds good. 

Emily 

Elee goes back to her room that is filled with more and more fathers.

Kyle 

Yeah, actually, that's the funny thing. So Elee, you get back to your room and you open up the door, and just a pile of fathers fall out. 

Emily 

[Laughter.]

Kyle 

The self-replicating feathers have replicated so much that they have literally filled every square inch of your room. And as hard as you push, there is no getting inside there. It is too soft. It just, [Schlurping noise.] Scoops you up and spits you back out. 

Emily 

[Resigned.] I'm not even that upset about it. I've been sleeping on the floor anyway.

Kyle 

So what do you do? 

Emily 

Well, I haven't been sleeping that much, actually. I've been busy being sick, and then I was busy going and...

[With sheepish amusement.] Piling things in front of Rei's door. 

[Thoughtfully.] I guess I'm gonna...what time is it? Is it like late? Like, are people...

Kyle 

[Crosstalking.] It's bedtime. It's night. 

Emily 

I'm gonna go see Rei. 

[Scene-changing whoosh.]

Kyle 

Rei opens up the door. She is in her pajamas at this point. It's the same as her regular outfit, she just doesn't have the coat. The dress is more of like a nightgown and she does, in fact, yes wear slippers.

Emily 

Elee thinks they're adorable. 

Kyle 

'cause, 'cause they are.

Emily 

Yeah.

Kyle 

And she opens up the door and immediately goes,

Kyle (as Ramya)

[Slightly nervously.] Elee, is something wrong? Is there an emergency on the ship? 

Emily (as Elee)

[Sheepishly.] No, um, I sort of accidentally filled my room with fathers. 

Kyle 

She just turns.

Kyle (as Ramya)

How many people are on this boat. Elee—

Emily (as Elee)

[Crosstalking.] Feathers!

Kyle (as Ramya)

How many people did you bring on this boat?!

Emily (as Elee)

[Stammering, panicked as she tries to clarify.] Feh--feathers. Feathers. Fath...they're, they're feathers.

Kyle (as Ramya)

Oh!

Emily (as Elee)

But then the fathers--'cause they're the ones that, I didn't realize, but they're the ones that make more and more and now I can't go into my room.

Kyle (as Ramya)

Oh, yes. I understand. Not fathers, but. [More breathily.] Fathers. Well, that makes sense.

Kyle 

And she walks back through the door and walks into her room, but leaves it open.

Emily (as Elee)

Just to check, does this mean I can come in?

Kyle (as Ramya)

[Crosstalking over Elee.] Yes, you're invited in!

Emily 

[Laughter.]

Well, I gotta go into that room.

[Gentle, soothing guitar music begins to play.]

Kyle 

Rei's room is immaculate. Its careful arrangement draws your eyes past the painted wood chair by the door over to a neatly arranged desk behind a tall chair, and all the way beyond memorabilia of family and friends back to the doorway again. The earthly scent of reading candles brings your mind back down to the ground. You forget that candles could be this comforting. But honestly, everything in this room is comforting.

In fact, the only part of the room that isn't perfectly put together is a pile of birthday gifts given to Rei by an...unknown admirer. And while she hasn't found a place for these items to call home yet the care she has given them is unmistakable. 

[00:05:00] 

[The music fades.]

And Rei sits down in her rocker chair, and in the middle of a pile of bricks pulls out a disguised book and opens it up. 

Emily (as Elee)

[Wryly.] Bit of a rebel there, Rei, eh? Bringing books aboard.

Kyle

[Laughter.]

Kyle (as Ramya)

[Dryly.] I've fought in rebellions, Elee, this is nothing. 

Emily (as Elee)

[Fondly.] Yeah. I know.

Emily 

And Elee's, like, a look passes over her face, like the little, like, sparkling eyes. 

[A starry, tinkling noise plays.] 

You know, “you're so cool” when Rei says she's fought in rebellions.

Kyle 

And she actually gets really excited and she says, 

Kyle (as Ramya)

Well, actually, I've been talking to other professors. Professor Q-BO, in fact. And I found some very interesting evidence about this Jagged Dream situation that I'd love to go over, if you have the time. 

Emily (as Elee)

Yes, that would be great. 

[Thoughtfully.] I don't know...why didn't I think of that?

Never mind.

Kyle 

[Laughter.]

Emily (as Elee)

Yes, please tell me all of the things that you know! 

Kyle 

And Rei, instinctually while reading the book, just waves her hands and just casually says something that she actually said a lot when you were dating. And she says, 

Kyle (as Ramya)

Well, you have your talents and I have mine, and that's why we work together so well.

Kyle 

And she immediately just follows it up by pointing and just continuing to talk about the Jagged Dream stuff.

Kyle (as Ramya)

So I've learned some very interesting things about this Ezra. Not only the abilities that they can do, very interesting the connection to stratic life. My theory that I'm posing together is, after a little bit...

[Rei's voice begins to fade out.] 

Kyle 

[Rei's still speaking quietly but indistinguishably under Kyle before fading out completely.]

And Elee, I imagine you're paying some attention to what Rei's saying, but as sometimes happens when you're invited over to somebody's house at night to do homework, you might be a little distracted. What's going on in Elee's brain.

Emily 

[An upbeat, poppy tune with a playful melody begins.]

Elee genuinely is listening, but there's definitely a little part of her that--is just not sure how to handle this situation. She's not really gone to people's houses at night to do homework, and she's just kind of flipping her hands over uncomfortably, like, fiddling with her fingers. She just really not sure like, what to do. She's just standing there awkwardly, but she is listening. 

Kyle 

Okay, good. So anyway, she continues talking and eventually it goes from there. It starts with conversation about Ezra, it moves on to further conversation. Just learning a bit about your allies. 

Kyle (as Ramya)

[The music fades.]

How did you even meet these people, Elee? 

Emily (as Elee)

So these were the people I met when I unleashed a world-ending cloud of spiders.

Kyle (as Ramya)

Oh. [Laughter.] One of those Elee stories. Alright.

Kyle 

And she turns over, and she pulls out a bottle of wine and two glasses. 

Kyle (as Ramya)

I think we might need some of this then.

Emily (as Elee)

[Teasing.] You gonna let me one of those, or are they both for you this time too?

Kyle (as Ramya)

[The upbeat music begins again.]

You know, I can put, I can put this away at any time. 

Emily (as Elee)

[Crosstalking hurriedly.] No no no! That's--that's not necessary. I, I was, I was, I was making...making a, uh, a funny. Doing funny joke. I, I didn't like...it wasn't very funny. I'm sorry.

Kyle 

Rei laughs.

[The music ends.]

Alright, and we're going to cut away if that's okay. 

Tom 

Uhhh, but also what was, what was that conversation about Ezra, Kyle? I feel like that was something. 

Ari 

Yeah. Yeah! I, I was—

Tom 

[Crosstalking.] Emily said she was listening. That feels like something we and the listeners are entitled to! 

Kyle 

Okay, you--okay. Here's here's the down low. 

[A jazzy little tune like waiting room or elevator music begins.] 

I'm going to give you three facts. three facts about Ezra. Okay?

Tom

[Laughter.]

Kyle 

One: Ezra is selfish. Not a team player.

Two: when Ezra said that they would give Anastasia power during the coup of Ancuan, that was meant very literally. For a period it was almost like Anastasia was slinging spells out there. 

And three...

Emily (as Elee)

Do you have any theories on how Ezra could have taken control over Misha?

[The music fades.]

Kyle (as Ramya)

Well, it seems that perhaps being in an elevated emotional state makes one more susceptible to the influence of the Jagged Dream. After all, from what I've heard, it sounds like your friend was rather compromised after the Salt and Pepper rally.

[The eerie, unsettling music of the Jagged Dream begins to play, beginning with low, strong string notes.]

[Thoughtfully.] Although that is a peculiar thing. Your friend is a machine, correct?

Emily (as Elee)

[Uncertain.] As far as we know. 

Kyle (as Ramya)

Well, from what I've read about the tattoos, Ezra should not have been the one to influence Misha. Patience over machines. Action over organic. Strife over stratic. Ezra's influence, mind control, whatever you want to call them, powers, don't influence mechanical life. 

[The music intensifies, then ends abruptly.] 

They influence life from the datasphere.

Kyle 

[Scene-changing woosh.]

Speaking of Misha, Xoc, as you go back to your room, you can see Misha is sitting there with the open door. Jesse 

[00:10:00] 

hasn't left yet. They're still bouncing around the walls. 

Ari 

[Pityingly.] Jesse's sleep schedule is so messed up.

Tom 

Xoc'll wait for Jesse to leave.

[Laughter from the party.]

Hallie

[Wryly.]

Just standing there.

Kyle 

[Quickly.] Pew-pew-pew, pew-pew, pew-pew!

Jesse is down the halls, God knows where.

Tom 

[Faintly exasperated.] Look, Jesse is a fucking adult. They can take care of themselves. 

Kyle 

[Wryly.] Okay, one of those statements is true. You decide.

Tom 

You, you--like, we joke, we, we joke about the NPC children, but Jesse is an adventurer. 

Anyway, Xoc waits for Jesse to head on out and then slips into Misha's room. Ari, you said Misha was like standing or sitting? 

Ari

I was thinking they were laying down, as if...

Tom 

[Startled.] Ohh!

Ari 

As if they were asleep, but like, they're not. They're just laying staring at the wall. I assume that the bed is right next to a wall. 

Tom 

Okay. Alright. Xoc wants to like, sit down on the bed and say, I think through the mental link. 

Tom (as Xoc)

Hey. 

[A simple but soothing melody begins to play.] 

It's okay if you don't want me to be around right now, but I thought you might not want to be alone.

Ari 

Misha, at Xoc being like, I figured you didn't want to be alone right now, ah. Yeah, they're going to like, flinch a little bit at that phrase.

[The music ends.]

But then they are going to reply and say,

Ari (as Misha)

Please stay if you want. 

I...I enjoy your company, Xoc, I do and I know I apologized before, but I want to do it again for what happened earlier today. And for the things that Sir Kentrim said earlier too. I apologize for that, Xoc. 

Tom 

Xoc will scootch a little bit closer and like, hold one of Misha's hands. 

Ari 

Mmm-hm.

Tom (as Xoc)

[A gentle, sweet piano tune begins to play.]

Everybody complicates everything in their lives for everyone around them. That's just how it works. I had a, had a big plan earlier with the kazoo.

Tom 

And he pulls it out again. 

Tom (as Xoc)

I was going to play this earlier after the rally, but things didn't really work out that way. Things happen to you when you're alive, and they don't always go according to plan, but it doesn't mean it's bad. And I...I just wanted you to know that I'm not going to abandon you for any reason. I want to stay with you. I want to help you figure out what's going on, what we can do to try to make it right. And, well...

Tom 

And then Xoc will take out the kazoo.

Tom (as Xoc)

[The music ends.]

If you want, I could play it now. Just to pass the time.

Ari 

Misha at that will smile.

Ari (as Misha)

I would love that, Xoc. 

Tom 

And Xoc will smile too and say,

Tom (as Xoc)

Well, I, I  haven't really been playing this much, so it can't really compare to...to your performance, but.

Ari (as Misha)

From what I heard earlier today, I think it was beautiful.

[Xoc begins to play an emotional and slightly mournful tune on the kazoo.] 

Ari

Is that...is that a reference to something?

Tom

[Indignant.] It's Persona 5! As I swear on my bones, that's the emotional song of plays in everything in Persona 5.

[It was possibly Persona 5's Confession/Secret.]

I mean, I don't think I did the first part right, but I did the chorus bit right? 

Ari 

[Stammering, trying not to laugh.] I--I believe you!

[Laughter.]

Tom

Dammit! Fuck!

Ari 

Yeah 'cause I was like, is it the bell song? 

Tom

No!

Ari

Is it the jingle song? 

Tom

No!

Ari

And so I was trying to think which one it was.

Tom

It plays when you name the Phantom Thieves, and during like, particularly emotional moments. I know that you haven't reached all of those moments yet. 

[Laughter.]

Ari

My brain's just filled with, filled with, 

[Sings a more intense jingle.]

Tom

[Intense kazoo playing.] 

Ari

That's sort of right. But yeah, anyway, Misha will think this song is beautiful, even if Ari out of context did not recognize the song. And they will be like,

Ari (as Misha)

See, I told you it would be beautiful.

[A short, gentle tinkling tune plays.]

Kyle 

Hello, and welcome to the announcement break for Quest Friends Episode 50, Crime and Courtship Part 15. I gotta keep yelling or you're gonna start hearing the hoarseness in my throat because I'm sick, which is why the episode's a few days late. But I really, really wanted to get this out to you as soon as possible. So I'm just, I'm really excited, not only about the fact this is our 50th episode, but also I just really liked this episode. There are cool things coming and two of those cool things are going to come as soon as I tell you that our intro and outro song are "Friends" and "Hitoshio," both by Miracle of Sound. 

Alright, let's get to those two cool things. The first one is one of our first Patreon shoutouts that we've had in a while. Again, these one time 

[00:15:00] 

in-character NPC shout outs go to any Patreon subscriber who subscribes at a $5 a month or above, and this week's is for...

Kyle (as Q-BO)

[A bright and cheery ping.] 

This week's shout-out is for Juniper! Juniper wants Q-BO--that's me!--to actually explain the Great Angle Exodus of the Seventh World. 

[Pings.]

Hmm, the Great Angle Exodus has a lot of information about it, but I will try to condense it as best as I can.

[Q-BO's voice begins to speed up.] 

In order to understand the Great Angle Exodus of the Seventh World, we need to understand the obtuse—

[Q-BO's voice speeds up more and becomes unintelligible.]

[Q-BO beep-boops and their voice returns to normal.]

Oh dear. I'm afraid that's entirely too much information to contain in a single sentence. Therefore, I will say the short version. 

[Beeps.]

Left triangles were originally created as a way to counteract the evil acts of acute angles. Unfortunately, in addition to having a left angle, left triangles also included two acute angles and completely failed at their job. Therefore, they were exiled from the planet. 

Kyle

All right. Thank you so much Juniper for that ask, and thank you so much Q-BO for that explanation, even if I don't really understand it any more than I did before. It's fine. And who knows, maybe I'll untangle that longer rambling explanation and just kind of throw that up online somewhere, maybe to the Patreon subscribers, hmm?

In addition, we have another announcement, and that is we are going to be at C2E2! If you don't know what C2E2, is it is a Chicago con. It happens from February 28th through Sunday, March 1st. So Friday to Sunday. Our specific panel, called Pop Quest: A role-playing adventure created by you, is going to be in their family-friendly section, and what it is is going to be a mixture of like, a performance and uh, a kind of interactive improvisational collaborative art, where essentially I'm going to come in with no notes and what's going to happen is I'm going to ask the people who have joined the panel to come up with ideas. 

Where is the story taking place? Who are the main characters? What should I give the players as a GM intrusion, that kind of fun stuff. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, again, this is going to be at the workshop area of Family HQ on Sunday, March 1st, 2020. Currently we're starting at 1:45 PM. This might change, I don't know, you know, how concrete it is, but the point is C2E2, probably on Sunday, we're going to be there and it'd be great if you were too.

[Soft, romantic music begins to play once more.]

Alright, that's all I've got for you today. Thank you so much for listening to the past fifty episodes of Quest Friends, and I'm excited to join you on many, many more, starting with our next episode, which will be released on Monday, January 20th. I'll see you then!

Kyle 

[The music fades.]

And yeah, you hang out in Misha's room a little bit, but eventually, I'd imagine, you probably need to make it back to your own for sleep. 

Tom 

Yeah, sure, eventually, but we can keep mental linking through the wall. 

[Laughter from the party.]

Ari

[Through laughter.] Yeah, god.

Kyle 

So you get up and you just start immediately texting.

Hallie 

[Wryly.] Millennials.

Tom

I feel like it's probably closer to that thing where you're, like, in bed calling each other, like, slowly drifting off to sleep. 

Kyle 

Um...

Tom 

Something along those lines. 

Kyle 

Yeah, you go back to your room and honestly probably half of it is also just to check on Everett, because he hasn't been around for a while. Like, he was not at the, uh, Salt and Pepper rally. He was barely at dinner, left as soon as he saw there weren't any smash topatoes.

Emily 

[Laughter.]

Kyle

Was very upset about the whole thing.

Tom

Xoc was also deeply distressed but that just happened off-screen, just Xoc falling to his knees in despair. 

Kyle 

[Laughter.]

So you enter your room and it feels...different. Everett is sitting on the bottom bunk, staring at a fresh puddle on the floor.

[Somber, melancholy piano music begins to play.]

In this puddle lie a whisk, a rolling pin, and an open letter. And on Everett's lap, the opened rapier case spills out not a weapon, but even more cooking supplies. 

Hallie

[Strained, quiet.] Oh my god.

Kyle 

While Everett’s tears make the puddle even bigger. 

Ari

[Softly.] Ohh.

Kyle

[The music fades.]

You hear a big sniff, and Everett looks up to meet your eyes.

Kyle (as Everett)

They're not coming back. Are they? 

Tom (as Xoc)

[Reluctantly.] No, I don't think they are. 

Kyle (as Everett)

[Slightly muffled and drained. He's clearly been crying.] So you remember...you had like, asked me how I'd, like, figured out my nano powers or whatever. 

Tom (as Xoc)

Yeah. Yeah, I, I did. 

Kyle (as Everett)

[The piano music begins again.]

I actually didn't know 

[00:20:00] 

what they were for a long time. I would just...um, I would blink and people would disappear. I still really don't know now if it was 'cause my eyes stopped showing them, or if they, um, if they just left when I was looking the other way. 

Anyways, um, I got in a fight? Don't tell Jesse this but I'm actually not good at fighting. So I was...I was the only one who had to see the doctor after that fight.

Every time I opened my eyes there were only two people I saw? There was this really nice doctor, and then this lady who had , uh, a little floating pail with her. They said I could stick around but I didn't want to be too...too much. 

I tried to help out by cooking. 

Tom (as Xoc)

[A slightly startled hum.]  

Kyle (as Everett)

They always said they liked it, and, and it, and it was...it was nice. It was nice to close my eyes and realize that everything was going to be the same place when I opened them. 

And now...it isn't.

Tom

[Quietly.] Xoc, if Everett will let him, will come sit on the bed also.

Tom (as Xoc)

[Choosing his words thoughtfully.] I don't know what it's like to be that scared in that way. I've had different reasons for being afraid. A lot of them. And I've been alone for a long time too, but it wasn't quite like that. We can't get them back. But that also doesn't mean everyone is gone. 

Kyle (as Everett)

[A little sullenly.] But like, what if they are?

[The music fades.]

We were in Charmonde, and then we were in a city? That had I think a revolution? And now we're in a boat in the middle of the air with a death cult and...

[Through a sob.] I just hate it. 

I know Jesse likes adventuring so much, and I want to pretend that I like it too, but I hate it so much. [A hiccuping cry.] I just feel so scared and so unsafe all the time and I just, I, I don't want to hold them back, but I don't know what I'd do without them. 

Tom (as Xoc)

I don't think you could over hold us back. But if you don't feel safe, then...and I've, I've heard from various nano spirits that this is a healthy thing humans do. You should probably tell everyone you care about about it, because we can't figure out what we want to do next if we don't know.

Kyle (as Everett)

[Sniffs.] But what if they decide that they don't want to be around me anymore. 

Tom (as Xoc)

Sometimes...

[Strained with emotion.] You just have to to take a leap of faith. 

Ari

[Snorts.]

Tom

I have so few words. 

Ari

[Wryly.] What is this, Aladdin? 

Tom

Oh, I was, I was, I was doing Into the Spider-Verse, clearly. 

[Laughter from the party.]

Ari

Ohhh.

Tom

[Frustrated groan.] It's, you know what, you know what. Xoc is going to say,

Tom (as Xoc)

[Soft, more hopeful music begins to play.]

Look. You are part of a strange group, and so is Jesse. And from what I have seen of them over these past few weeks, they are perhaps caring and trusting to a fault. They don't want to hurt you. If you, if you tell them the truth, I think they'll listen and you can work out where your lives go from there. 

Kyle (as Everett)

[Reluctantly.] I hope you're right. Because the truth is I claim to hate a lot of stuff, but, um. I don't hate them at all. In fact, I kind of love them a lot.

[The music fades.]

Kyle (as Ramya)

[Slightly tipsy laughter.] Any--any--anyways, that's how this whole cookie campaign started. It's really quite sweet!

Kyle

Uh, Elee, is—

Emily (as Elee)

[Proudly.] I got that pun!

Kyle

[Laughter.]

Kyle (as Ramya)

Oh, right! [Gleefully.] I did a joke!

Emily (as Elee)

You did a joke! You did a joke, and it was really funny. All your jokes are funny!

Kyle

[Laughter.]

Emily (as Elee)

But this—

Kyle (as Ramya)

[Crosstalking.] Okay, don't—

Emily (as Elee)

This one was really funny.

Kyle (as Ramya)

No, don't, don't lie to me Elee! Don't lie! 

Emily (as Elee)

Oh--most of your jokes are really funny! 

Kyle (as Ramya)

Now that. 

Kyle

And she pours a little more.

Kyle (as Ramya)

Now that's a joke.

Kyle

It's been hours. It's been a few minutes, who fucking knows at this point. You two are having an uproarious time. You've been talking about all the things that have been happening over the past fifteen years and it's been nice. It's been, it's been comfortable. But as she pours her next glass of wine, Rei get silent. And she just says, 

Kyle (as Ramya)

Okay. I promised myself I wouldn't ask. I promised myself I wouldn't ask! But I I have to, it's killing me. Elee, what on Earth is that third candle for?

Emily (as Elee)

Ah...

[Reluctantly.] Well, I didn't ever really think I'd have to tell you. So, I didn't, you know, think of about...I guess, if I thought I was gonna have to tell you, then I wouldn't have done it. 

Kyle (as Ramya)

[Uncertainly.] Okay? 

Emily (as Elee)

You...ah.

[A gentle tune begins to play. It's sweet, but has an undercurrent of sadness to it.]

You figured out the other two,  right? 

 [00:25:00]

Kyle (as Ramya)

Yes, the husband who passed away and the child as well. 

Emily (as Elee)

They're for lost people I lost. The people I care for the most, who I lost. And... 

Kyle (as Ramya)

[The music ends.]

[Crosstalking, sternly.] Elee Badge.

Kyle

And I'm gonna—

Emily (as Elee)

[Crosstalking plaintively.] I know!

Kyle 

I'm putting, I'm gonna put in a—

[The sound of a glass hitting the floor.] 

Glass shattering sound effect here. 

Tom

[Laughter.]

Kyle (as Ramya)

[Much more upbeat, almost mischievous music begins to play.] 

[Admonishingly.] Elee Badge. You mean to tell me that you put a candle for me and my daughter like we--like we died?! You mean to tell me that we were dead to you?! 

Emily (as Elee)

[Frantically trying to explain.] I was dead to you!

Kyle (as Ramya)

No! You weren't!

Emily (as Elee)

I--I tried to be!

Kyle (as Ramya)

I was--I was upset! Yes, I was upset, but I didn't think, oh, Elee Badge, just stick her in the ground already. 

Emily (as Elee)

[Stammering.] It--ehh-well, it wasn't an actual--it was a death of dreams!

Kyle (as Ramya)

[Rei's tone of voice sounds like she's rolling her eyes.] Oh, a metaphorical death. I've had breakups too Elee! I'll have you know, Sera's father might as well be dead to me, but you don't see me marking a gravestone with him on it. 

Emily (as Elee)

Well it was just like--I already had the two!

Kyle (as Ramya)

[Crosstalking.] So why just, just throw us on—

Emily (as Elee)

[Crosstalking.] It felt like the end of the world and I didn't know how to handle it.

[The music ends.]

Kyle (as Ramya)

I don't--I don't know how to handle this. I don't know how to handle this. Elee. 

Emily (as Elee)

[Glumly.] It wasn't the smartest. I wasn't thinking, and in the moment it felt like I was...[Trails off.]

And then I couldn't put it out because I had lost you. And I know it sounds—

Kyle (as Ramya)

[Crosstalking.] So am I still...so we're still lost then. Is that what you mean to say?

Emily (as Elee)

It sure—

[Sighs.] Sera can’t forgive me.

Kyle (as Ramya)

And how do you expect other people to move on Elee? How do you expect other people to try to move past something when you're announcing it every second you're around. 

Emily (as Elee)

Well, no one knew, so it was fine. I could just stew by myself. 

Kyle (as Ramya)

Yes, by yourself. The thing you're so exceptionally good at.

[A pause.] This was...this was silly.

Kyle 

And she starts putting, uh, putting some of the stuff away. 

Emily (as Elee)

[Resigned.] Rei, please just--I don't have the right to ask. But will you listen just for a minute? 

Kyle 

She crosses her arms and sits down in her rocking chair. 

Emily (as Elee)

[Somber music begins to play.]

I didn't know how to handle a lot of things, and for way longer than I should have, I didn't think at all about how me not handling things would affect other people. I'm not gonna claim that I have that much figured out, but I've learned a lot? Especially recently with Soe. And I guess it just felt so normal to have them lit. I never took the last step, and now I'm here and I want to put them out but I don't know... 

[Sighs.] I said I was gonna have a family with Karl, and so I felt like I couldn't have a family with you. 

[Quietly.] Do you think that I'll ever be able to talk to Sera again? 

Kyle (as Ramya)

Elee, when I met you, I knew very quickly what those candles were. Now, between now and then there's a lot different, there's a lot more to answer for. But that doesn't make it too late. The only thing time's done is just added more things to work on. I think it's up to her to decide, but I think if you're willing to put in the effort...just know that she's going to make you put in a lot more effort than I have.

Emily (as Elee)

[Sniffs.] That...that feels about right. I didn't get to talk to her, but I'm glad I got to see her and I'm glad I got to see you.

[The music ends.]

Rei, is there someplace where I could just sit alone for a minute?

Kyle 

Rei is gonna sit there and she's gonna look at you, puzzled for a second. And then she'll say,

Kyle (as Ramya)

Yeah, I'll step out for a few minutes.

Kyle 

And she'll step out of the room.

[A slow and gentle tune begins, slightly more hopeful.]

Emily 

So Elee is going to take the hat off of her head and set it very gently in her lap, and just stare at it for a minute. Look at the three little flames. 

And she's gonna hold up her hand and start waving 

[00:30:00] 

it, and stop it right before and think about it. 

She's going to waive her hand in front of the first handle, or I guess the third candle, the candle for Rei and Sera. And she's going to look at the second candle...well, the first candle, the one for the baby, and she's going to wave her hand in front of it.

Kyle 

[Gently.] And Karl's candle? 

Emily 

See, that's...that's the hard one. Because she has kids, she has her many kids, and she's found some closure with Rei, but there's still Karl. 

[The music transitions gently into Karl's song for Elee, a romantic guitar tune.]

And he's still gone.

As she waves her hand in front of Karl's candle, Elee is going to hum to herself.

[The music swells, then fades. Elee hums Karl's song for her over the sound of crackling flames. Karl's voice joins her, and then with a soft whoosh, the flame and the song go out.]

[Closing theme, “Hitoshio” by Miracle of Sound, begins.] 

Kyle 

Rei's gonna sit there and she's gonna look at you, puzzled for a second. She's a professor of puzzles. 

Hallie

[Chuckles.]

Ari (as Misha)

Where did you find it? Where do you find one? I thought they were rare. 

Tom (as Xoc)

I just, I just asked Elee if I could borrow one of the spare kazoos from the band room. 

Ari (as Misha)

Oh? 

Kyle and Emily

[Laughter.]

Ari (as Misha)

There's--there's more than...there are spare kazoos in the bandroom?

Kyle 

There's a little, just a bucket, the kazoo bucket.

Ari 

Misha will take a note for later, Misha will remember this.

[Laughter from the party.]

Kyle 

Misha comes armed to the final battle, just kazoos dack-taped everywhere.

And that'll be the credit. That'll be the mid episode break. 

Tom

[Surprised.] Mid-episode! What! What else is there?

Kyle

Well, you gotta ask Misha out.

Tom

[Extremely pained and frustrated noise.] Shhh, sh.

Kyle

There'll be a way for it to happen. 

Tom

The next day is prom! There's nothing else to do!

Kyle

[Firmly.] Trust me. 

Tom

I'm not sure I do!

Emily 

Does this mean I don't get to ask Rei out. 

Kyle 

You can do that later, alright? We're not gonna be like, hey, we're talking about Ezra. [In a dramatic whisper.] Date me please.

Tom

[Stammering.] It's, it is, it's like, forget the proligarchy, all of these plans, just--Kyle's like oh, wouldn't it be fun if your date was interrupted by some genuine trauma? 

Ari 

I know right!

Tom

What if it was now impossible to ask someone out on a date because trauma happened right now.

Ari

I know, right!

Tom

I guess prom's fucking canceled. 

Kyle 

I have--I had a plan!

Tom

[Indignant.] A plan for what, trauma? 

Kyle

Well, we'll get there. Don't worry about it.

Tom

[Annoyed yelling.]

[Episode ends - 00:33:39]